Education

Govt ‘LIED’ about absorbing 2020 WASSCE fees for all – WAEC

2020 WASSCE fees brouhaha lingers on but it seems Govt ‘LIED’ about absorbing 2020 WASSCE fees for all according to WAEC.

The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo disclosed in one of his addresses to the nation on measures taken against the spread of COVID-19 that the government will absorb fees for students sitting the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

Addressing the nation as final year SHS and second year Gold Track students were preparing to return to school, the President indicated that 75.4 million cedis will be spent on the exercise.

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“For the first time in our nation’s history, the government will absorb the WASSCE examination fees of the 313,837 students who will sit for the exams.

“75.4 million cedis will be spent on this,” President Akufo-Addo said.

But the Head of School Examinations Administration Department of the Ghana Office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Godfried Addo has revealed that though this is true, there were some exceptions.

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He made this disclosure in a special interview with Happy 98.9 FM’s Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show dubbed, “WAEC modalities for the conduct of WASSCE”.

When he was asked why the council was still taking registration fees from some students sitting for the 2020 WASSCE regardless of the president’s directive, Godfried explained that government’s absorption of the 2020 WASSCE fees covered only students in recognized educational institutions and not private ones.

“The registration fees of final year students have been absorbed by the government but private candidates have to pay for theirs,” he stated.

The West African Examinations Council introduced the use of mobile money for the payment of registration fees for private candidates’ examinations namely: the WASSCE for Private Candidates and BECE for Private Candidates.

The process which is easy and convenient provided an opportunity for candidates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to register for the examination and make payments without going to the bank.